The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-10-21
you are not rspining. you are not fretftl, you

that God gave my sick soul. In my distress
threw myself at the feet OF a sympSt hizing
God, and when was too weak TO pray or TO
look up, he breathed into me peace that
think must be the foretaste Of that Heaven
where there IS neither q tear, nor a farewell,
nor grave Come, all We who have been
out to the grave to weep there-come all ye
comforted souls, get up of your knees. Is
there no power inthis Gospel to soothe the
hsarti Is there no power IN this religion TO
quiet the worst paroxysin Of grief There
comes up an answer from comforted widow
hood and orphanage and childlessnes, say
ing: AYE, aye, we are Witnesses
Again, remark that we are witnesses Of
the tact that religion has power to give COM
I poss1re in the last moment / shall never for
get the first time l confronted death. We
went across the cornhelds in the country. L
/ was led bv nv fathers hand and We came TO
I the farm house were the bereavement had
come and we saw the crowd Of wagons and
carriages; but there was one carriage that
| especially attracted my boyish attention, and
/ it had black plumes. Isaid; Whats thati
what's that Why those black taSsels at the
/ topH and after it was explained to me, was
lifted up TO look upon the bright face OF an
aged Christian woman, who three days before
had parted in triumph The whole scene
made an impression never forgot.
In our sermons and in our lay exhortatlons
we are very apt, when We want to bring illus
trations of dying triumph, to go back TO some
distinguished personage-t0 aJohn Knox or
Harriet Newell But want you for wit
nesss.
/ want to knew if you have ever seen any
hing 70 make you believe that the religion o.
Christ can give c0mposure IN the final hour
Now, in the courts, attorney, jury and Judge
I will never admit mere hearsay. They de-
niand that the witness must have seen with
/ his own eyes, or heard with his own ears, and
80 | am critical in my examination OF you
7 D faNs
seen or heard anything that makes you be-
I heve that the religion Of Christ gives comfort
l in the final hour.
.'Oh, yes, you say, Il saw my father and
mother depart. There was a great difference
| in their deathbeis. Standing by the one we
] felt more veneration. By the other there was
more tenderness Before the one you bowed
I perhaps in awe. In the other case you felt as
I II you would like to go along with her. How
! did they feel in that last hourt How did they
sesm 70 acti Were they very much fright
ened. Did they take hold Of this world with
both hands as though they did not want to
Z give II upf "Oh, no. you say, mo, l remem-
Der as though it were yesterday; she had a
kind word for US all. and there were a few
mementOes distributed among the children,
and then she told Us how kind we must be to
our father in his loneliness aud then she
kiss d us goodby and went asleep as a child in
u cradle
What made her so composed, Natural
couragei No. you say, mother was very
nervous. When the carriage inclined to the
side OF the road she would cry out. She was
always rather weakly" What, then, gave
her composurc, Was it because she did not
care much for you and the pang Of parting
was not greati Oh you say, ''she showerd
upon Us a wealth Of affection; no mother ever
loved her children more than mother loved
u. She showed 1t by the way she nursed US
when we were sick, and she toiled for US until
4. r. -
that gave her cOmpOsure in the last hourl
Do not hide it. Be frank and let me know.
''Oh,n YOU say, 1t was because she was 50
good. She made the Lord her portion and
she had faith that she would 20 straight to
glory and that we should all meet her at last
at the foot Of the thronen
Here are people who say; Il saw Chris
tian brother die, and he triumphed7 And
some one else: Il saw a Christian sister die,
and she triumphed.n Some one else will say:
Il saw a Christian daughter die and size
triumphed.n Come. all We who have seen
the last moments of a Christian, and give
testimony IN this cause on trial Uncover
your heads, put your hand on the old family
Bible from which they used TO read the
promises, and promise in the presence of
high heaven that you Will tell the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
With what you have seen with your
own eyes, and from what you have
heard with your own ears, is there power in
this Gospel TO give calmness and triumph in
the last exigency The response comes from
all sides, from young, and old, and middle
agei We are witnesses r
You see. my friends, have not put before
you an abstraction, or a chimera, or anything
ike guess work. present you afiidayits Of
the best men and women, living and dead.
Two witnesses in court VIII establish fact
Here are not two witnesses but thousands OF
aitnesses--on earth millions Of witnesses, and
- L. -. efae
no man can number, testifying that there Is
se comfort i IN troubie, ma Is afrord Com
pos1re in the last hour.
II ten men should come to you when you
are sick with appalling sickness, ana say
they had the same sickness, and took
certain medicine, and it cured them, you
would probably take il. Now, suppose ten
other men should come up and say; We
don't believe there is anything in that medi.
cine. '.Wel, say; "haye You ever tried it,
"NO. never tried it, but don't beneve
there is anything in itn OF course you DIS
credit their testimony. The skeptlc may
come and say: There is no power in your
nsligi0nfn Have your ever tried itf' ''Nc,
no Then ayanntm Let me take the t's-
tirnonv OF the millions OF souls that have b en-
converted 10 God and cOmforted IN trlal and
solaoed in the last hour. We will take their
testimony as they cry: We are witnesses.
Some time ago Prof Henry, Of Washing
ton discovered a new star, and the tidings
sped by submarine telegraph and all the
olsservatories were watching Tor That
new star. Oh, nearer; looking out through
the darkness Of your soul, calist thol
SEE a bright light beaining on thee. W here,'
YOU saw sslEheref How can ini it, Look
along by the line Of the cross of the Son of
God Do you not see II trembling with al
TENDERNESS and banning with oil hope! 1t IS
the Star Of Bethlehem.
Deep horror then my viizis froze'
Death struck, ! ceased the TIDE 10 sieih'
When Suddenly star arose-
u vas the Star OF bethlehem
Il is easier for you all 10 become Christians
than i : 70 stay away from Christ and heaven
When Nine Sontag began her mucical career
she WIS hisssd on the stage AZ leIlIia by the
frisnds Of her rival, Amelia Steininger, who
had already begun 70 decline through her
dis-irafion. Years passed on, and one day
Nine soutag, IN her glory, was riding
through the streets OF Berlin, when she saw
little child laading blind woman, ana she
said. Come here, my little child, come mere
Who is that you are lending by the handg
And the little child replied: That's my
mother. that's Amelia Steininger. She us'd
b h. a great singer, but she lost her voice,
and she cried 10 much about II that she lost
her eyssightn "Giye my love TO her, said
Nine Southg "and tell her an old acquaint-
ance will call on her this afternoon.
The next week 10 Berlin vast assemblago
gathered nt a benefit for that poor blind wo-
man. and il was said THAI Nine. sonfag sang
that night as she had never sung before. And
- took a skilled Occulist. who in vain tried
togive eyeaight % the poor blind woman.
U1tu tie day Of Amelia Steininger's death
Nine Soulag took care Of her snd her daugh
Ter after her. That was what the queen Of
song did FOR her enemy.
Bot. OH hear n more thrilling story still.
Blind Immortal, poor and lost-thou who,
shen tlss weld and Christ sero riyass f0E
thy heart, dldst his thy Lord away-christ
c0maE now % give thee sight, 70 give thee
bonn. 10 give thee heaven With more than
a Soutag's generosity be comes now TO meet
YOUR need With more than a SOntags
music be comes b plead for thy deliverance.
FnAsE YwcEgI. author OF "The
Land Of the White Elephant" is Just
returned from a ., 0O0-mile journey in
South America He will publish the
story Of his travels. He says the cost
II 4-s..Isr., - considerably greater